FCC ELIMINATES MORSE CODE AS EXAM REQUIREMENT

[Andre Kesteloot]

==>FCC ELIMINATES MORSE CODE AS EXAM REQUIREMENT!

Early next year, the US will join the growing list of countries that no
longer require Amateur Radio applicants to pass a Morse code test as the
entry ticket to HF. Announcement of the pending historic rule change arrived
with no fanfare December 15 in an FCC public notice. A full-blown Report and
Order (R&O) in the proceeding, WT Docket 05-235, followed December 19. The
best estimate of when the Morse code requirement will go away officially is
sometime in February -- 30 days after the R&O appears in the Federal
Register.

"We . . . believe that the public interest is not served by requiring
facility in Morse code when the trend in amateur communications is to use
voice and digital technologies for exchanging messages," the FCC said in its
R&O. "Rather, we believe that because the international requirement for
telegraphy proficiency has been eliminated, we should treat Morse code
telegraphy no differently from other Amateur Service communications
techniques."

The FCC says it deems the current regime of written examinations "sufficient
to determine whether a person is qualified to be issued an Amateur Radio
operator license."

The FCC cast aside arguments that Morse ability is advantageous in
emergencies, concluding that most emergency communication is handled using
voice, data, or video techniques. The Commission also turned away assertions
that retaining a Morse requirement would help keep out the bad apples.

"The record is devoid of a demonstrated nexus between Morse code proficiency
and on-the-air conduct," the FCC observed. It concurred with one commenter's
observation that "maintaining the code requirement does not purge Amateur
Radio of bad operators. Education and self-policing does."

The FCC also ordered that all Technician licensees present and future --
whether or not they've passed a Morse code test, will get privileges on 80,
40, 15 and 10 meters identical to those of Novice licensees. "In eliminating
this disparity between Technician and Technician Plus licenses, we are
simplifying the Amateur Service licensing structure and promoting regulatory
parity," the FCC said.

The FCC took advantage of the occasion to act on the League's Petition for
Partial Reconsideration in the "omnibus" proceeding, WT Docket 04-140,
calling on the Commission to retain 3620 to 3635 kHz for automatically
controlled digital stations by moving the Extra class phone band edge to
3635 kHz. The FCC decided instead to authorize 3585 to 3600 kHz for such
operations, and leave the newly expanded phone band intact.

The Commission further amended Part 97 "to authorize Amateur Extra class
privileges to all individuals who have been issued a CEPT radio-amateur
license by their country of citizenship, and who satisfy other requirements
in the Commission's rules."

Although the FCC's Morse code decision came as no surprise, it nonetheless
revived debate on the issue. The FCC had proposed more than a year ago to
drop the Morse code requirement for all license classes. The record in the
proceeding, the FCC said, "reflects a division of views in the Amateur Radio
community." After reviewing the more than 3500 comments and
counter-proposals radio amateurs had filed, the Commission stuck with its
initial proposal.

ARRL President Joel Harrison, W5ZN, had this reaction: "While the
Commission's decision to delete the Morse code requirement for an Amateur
Extra Class license departs from the ARRL's recommendation, it is helpful to
have the matter resolved so we can move forward."

ARRL CEO David Sumner, K1ZZ, expressed a similar viewpoint. "Now that the
debate is over, we can focus on learning Morse code simply for its own
sake," he said. Sumner pledged that the League would maintain its
traditional support of Morse code as an operating mode and would continue to
offer Morse training materials as well as such incentives as bonus credit
for CW contacts in ARRL-sponsored operating events. ARRL's Hiram Percy Maxim
Memorial Station W1AW will keep its schedule of Morse code practice and
bulletin transmissions.

Since World Radiocommunication Conference 2003, the UK, Canada, Germany and
other countries have dropped their Morse requirements. Sumner said other
countries have successfully made the transition to a codeless testing
regime, and he doesn't anticipate problems in the US.

The pending disappearance of the Morse code requirement seems to have
rejuvenated the urge to upgrade. ARRL Sales and Marketing Manager Bob
Inderbitzen, NQ1R, says distribution of General Class license training
materials have skyrocketed in the week after the FCC announcement.

The pending disappearance of the Morse code requirement seems to have
rejuvenated the urge to upgrade. ARRL Sales and Marketing Manager Bob
Inderbitzen, NQ1R, says sales of General Class license training materials
have skyrocketed in the week after the FCC announcement.

The ARRL has posted information relevant to the FCC action in WT Docket
05-235, including an FAQ, on its Web site <http://www.arrl.org/fcc/morse/>